Fire suppression systems used pressurized containers of a fire suppressant material under high pressure. These pressurized containers are installed in a system that includes plumbing from each container to a location associated with the fire detection or fire alarm switch used to initiate delivery of the fire suppressant material from the container through the plumbing to suppress the fire. An actuator is activated to operate a valve coupled to the container to release the suppressant material from the pressurized container to the plumbing that delivers the suppressant material to the fire.
The pressurized containers must be pressure tested at regular intervals, typically annually. The pressurized containers may also have to be replaced after use or damage. Since such systems typically contain many such pressurized containers, each pressurized container must be removed from the system, tested, and assuming that it passes the test, reinstalled into the system. Frequently, one or more pressurized containers is not reinstalled, or not reinstalled properly, which is a major problem that typically goes undetected.
The National Fire Protection Association has passed requirements, effective in 2016, that fire suppression systems having an electric actuator must be “supervised” and provide audible and visual indication of system impairment at the system's releasing control panel.
It is known to use an electrical conductor and alarm externally attached to the pressurized container, valve, and solenoid to detect that the container is installed in the system. Such sensing circuit detects the presence or absence of a container. However, such sensing circuit will not sense if the valve coupled to the container is fully installed with the actuator. In other words, such a sensing system may indicate that the system is ready, although it actually is not because the actuator is not fully installed on the valve. As such, there is a need in the art for a sensor device that may be incorporated into an actuator to allow for a determination that the actuator is fully installed on a valve.
The invention provides such a sensor device, as well as an actuator including the same. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.